Stóri-Kambur

Stóri Kambur is a working horse farm on the southern side of a peninsula on Iceland's west coast. It keeps over 90 Icelandic horses in open fields year-round, and limits each horse to one tour a day, a practice it says few rental farms follow. Rides range from a one-hour beach loop to multi-day treks across varied terrain, with sand, lava fields, cliffs, waterfalls and mountain passes covered at a pace set by the ground underfoot. The one-hour tour departs from a shoreline stretch near two nearby villages; two-hour rides run when the tide allows it. Riders as young as three can take a short lead-rein walk, while the one-hour tour takes children from seven. On site, cottages sleep two to four guests, each self-catering, with a kitchenette, sitting area and bedroom under one roof, and a bathroom with a shower. Reykjavík is just over two hours by road; Borgarnes is about an hour, Ólafsvík around 25 minutes. It is a small operation built around its horses. Staff match each rider to a horse by skill and temperament, from steady beginners' mounts to sharper, more experienced ones, and guests are free to get to know the herd before saddling up.